School Hookup Request Near Limit

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School Hookup Request Near Limit

Schools and libraries have requested US$2.02 billion worth of discounted Internet connections that the government will soon make available.

That figure, released in an FCC filing Friday, is the first tally of the demand for the discounted hookups.

More than 30,000 applications were filed from 30 January to 28 April, said a spokeswoman for the Schools and Libraries Corp., which was set up by the Federal Communications Commission to administer the program.

The corporation said it will accept applications until the end of the year or until the $2.25 billion fund runs out.

The discounts are paid through fees on telephone and other telecommunications companies, which typically are passed on to customers.

FCC chairman William Kennard said recently that the nation's poorest schools and libraries will receive funding first.